Problems have existed for many years relating to an effective use of barriers for impeding a flow of water, such as during a flood. Typically, sandbags have been placed end to end to form a horizontal barrier and stacked one upon another to form a levee to divert or otherwise impede the flow of water into certain low-lying areas. Sandbags are difficult to use for this purpose for a number of reasons. First, the use of sandbags to form water barriers requires transportation of a large quantity of sand for filling the bags. Second, a great number of people are needed to fill and stack the sandbags. Third, building barriers with sandbags is very time consuming. Fourth, after the flood waters have subsided, the sandbags are often contaminated with substances such as oil, fuel, and other toxic chemicals that may have seeped into the sandbags. As a result, disposal of the sandbags must be achieved in accordance with applicable environmental laws and standards.
Various attempts have been made in the prior art to impede the flow of water, with objects other than sandbags. For example, devices currently exist that can be filled with water. These devices have many disadvantages such as being unstackable and thereby failing to impede the flow of water if its level increases above a horizontal row of the water containment devices. Because the water containment devices are unstackable, the devices also do not contain means for securing a plurality of them together when stacked. The devices are difficult to construct and fill with water, and also do not contain means for diverting the flow of water away from the water containment devices if the flow of water should overflow the devices. In addition, the water containment devices do not include means for quickly filling two of the water containment devices, which are in axial alignment, with water.